For Cody Freeman and the Texas Rangers, Friday’s move is a step in the right direction.

The Rangers announced that Freeman’s injury rehab assignment has been transferred from the Arizona Complex League to their Double-A affiliate in Frisco. Freeman will be in the lineup on Friday as the Rough Riders are in action. He’ll bat second and play second base.

Freeman is still on an injury rehab assignment and not technically a fully rostered player at Frisco. At some point Texas must either transfer him as a rostered player at an affiliate or promote him to the Majors. Given the current roster make-up in Arlington, the former is more likely.

But a transfer from their rookie league affiliate in Arizona to a full-season affiliate means the Rangers feel good about the physical progress Freeman has made since he came up with a lumbar stress reaction in spring training.

Cody Freeman’s 2026

When the Rangers diagnosed the injury Freeman was going to need at least four to six weeks to heal up before he could even start baseball activities. That meant his opportunity to make the opening day roster was done. Freeman began his rehab last week in Arizona.

In four games in Arizona, he slashed .231/.267/.308 with three RBI.

Freeman’s potential role with the Rangers is unclear at present. Infielders Josh Smith and Corey Seager are on the injured list, though there is hope Seager will return when Texas returns home to face the Houston Astros on Monday. Smith is dealing with two different injuries, plus recovering from viral meningitis, and will be out for the foreseeable future.

Freeman can play both infield and outfield and that could come in handy if injured outfielder Wyatt Langford needs more time to progress from his strained right forearm. The reality is that Freeman will likely need a few more weeks before his Major League ready.

Texas is covered in the middle infield with Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue. When Seager returns, Michael Helman will likely be optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. Texas doesn’t have to be in a rush to get Freeman back on the field, though he is surely eager to get back to Arlington after getting a taste of the majors last season.

Freeman made his MLB debut and played in 36 MLB games with a slash of .228/.258/.342 with three home runs and 15 RBI. He was also the 2025 Rangers minor league player of the year after he slashed .336/.382/.549 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI in 97 games at Triple-A Round Rock. He was the Rangers’ fourth-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft out of Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.